Podcast

I Like Your Work: Conversations with Artists

Arts, Visual Arts

I Like Your Work supports artists! Each week artist Erika b Hess interviews artists, gallerists, and curators to cover topics that will help you in your art practice. From inspiring interviews from the lives of artists to business practices you will walk away ready to get in the studio.

Visual Arts chart
#83
Episodes
101
Releases
Every two weeks
Typical length
43 min
On air since
2023
Latest episode
4 days ago

Episodes

101 episodes, newest first

  1. Color, Abstraction & Italy with Painter Kevin Wixted

    Season 9

    Show notes

    In this episode of I Like Your Work, Erika b Hess talks with painter Kevin Wixted about his early years in New York City, supporting himself through renovation work while developing his painting practice, and his journey into teaching at Alfred University. Kevin shares how his approach to painting has changed over time, from the relationship between observation and abstraction to the role of color, experimentation, and allowing one painting to lead to the next. They also discuss the freedom that comes with having more time in the studio, the influence of teaching, and the importance of remaining curious throughout an artistic career. Kevin is the founder of Umbria Contemporary Arts, an artist-centered program in the Italian countryside that brings painters together through workshops, travel, and creative exchange. Erika and Kevin discuss the inspiration behind the program and the experience of making art in a new environment. In this episode

    • Kevin's early experiences as an artist and his years in New York City
    • Supporting a painting practice while working outside the studio
    • Teaching painting at Alfred University and balancing teaching with making
    • The relationship between color, observation, and abstraction
    • How paintings develop through experimentation and discovery
    • Finding creative freedom at different stages of an artistic career
    • Founding Umbria Contemporary Arts and creating opportunities for artists to work internationally

    About Kevin Wixted Kevin Wixted is a painter whose work has been exhibited nationally and internationally. His exhibitions have been reviewed in Artforum, Art in America, ARTnews, The New York Times, and The Boston Globe, among other publications. He is the recipient of two Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grants and a New York Foundation for the Arts Grant. His residencies include MacDowell, the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation, and the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris. Kevin is Professor Emeritus of Painting at Alfred University, co-founder of the Alfred/Düsseldorf MFA in Painting Program, and founder of Umbria Contemporary Arts. Join Erika in Italy — Save 10% through November 30! Erika is returning to Umbria Contemporary Arts to teach The Symbolic Landscape, May 30–June 13, 2027. Spend two weeks painting in the Italian countryside, exploring landscape as a starting point for personal imagery, with dedicated studio time, artistic exploration, and conversations with fellow painters. Save 10% when you register by November 30, 2026. Use discount code EARLYBIRD at registration. Learn more and register for The Symbolic Landscape Links and resources: Kevin Wixted Website: https://www.kevinwixted.net Instagram: @wixtedkevin Umbria Contemporary Arts Website: https://www.umbriacontemporaryarts.com Instagram: @umbria_contemporary_arts I Like Your Work Website: https://www.ilikeyourworkpodcast.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ilikeyourworkpodcast Listen, subscribe, and share this episode with an artist friend!

    57 min
  2. Artist Elizabeth Alexander: Transforming Found Objects and Domestic Spaces

    Season 9

    Show notes

    Elizabeth Alexander is an interdisciplinary artist specializing in sculptures and installations made of deconstructed domestic materials. She holds degrees in sculpture from the Cranbrook Academy, MFA (2009), and Massachusetts College of Art, BFA (2004). Alexander's work has been exhibited at institutions across the country including the Museum of Art and Design, National Museum of Women in the Arts, North Carolina Museum of Art, Southeast Center for Contemporary Art, and Nasher Museum. Her work is included in collections at the Crystal Bridges Museum, the North Carolina Museum of Art, 21c Museum Hotels, and the Mint Museum. The National Museum of Women in the Arts included Alexander in the 'Women to Watch" series focusing on paper (2020). She has recieved awards from the Harpo foundation, the Society of Arts + Crafts, Blanche E. Colman foundation, Massachusetts Cultural Council, and a Burke Prize nominee by the Museum of Arts and Design. She has been included in publications such as Hyperallergic, the Denver Post, the Boston Globe, Galerie Magazine, and the Modern Art Notes Podcast. Alexander is represented by K Contemporary (Denver, CO and Santa Fe, NM). She is Associate Professor and Sculpture Department Coordinator at Montserrat College of Art in Beverly, MA.

    "Drawing from her own working-class upbringing, Elizabeth Alexander works to unpack the social, cultural, and psychological pressures within American domesticity. Raised to see the possibility in found or unwanted things, she regards the domestic environment as an extension of human ingenuity. Domestic environments additionally act as witnesses, emotional containers, status markers, and value signifiers. Home is where ideas about class, gender, taste, safety, and belonging are first learned and reinforced; sometimes through language, but often through the things we live with. Her studio practice begins with that tension between the domestic ideal and its human inhabitants. Laborious craft is the slow and steady machine behind all of Alexander's work where she spends endless hours breaking an object down and sorting the remaining and extracted parts for future reassembly. Cast paper forms and found material artifacts such as porcelain tableware, wallpaper, and other common furnishings are gathered and manipulated to probe at the many contradictions within their gentile appearance. The form of this work shifts from handheld objects to site-specific installations to photographs and works on paper, but the question remains: how do our possessions carry the values we inherit, perform, and pass on?"

    LINKS:

    https://www.elizabethalexanderstudio.com/ " aria-disabled="true">@keepingappearances

    Artist Shoutout:

    @wanderingmindstudio (mom),

    norfolkironworksinc (dad)

    inspiring friends: @alicia.renadette, @aprilpauza, @funlolacoker, @timothyhornsculpture, and @skyegilkerson

    I Like Your Work Links:

    https://www.patreon.com/cw/ILikeYourWork/home

    The Symbolic Landscape- Erika b Hess at Umbria Contemporary Arts May 30- June 13, 2027

    https://www.umbriacontemporaryarts.com/product-page/the-symbolic-landscape-instructor

    https://www.millersville.edu/eckertartgallery/current-season/

    Watch our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ilikeyourworkpodcast

    Submit Your Work

    Check out our Catalogs!

    Exhibitions

    Studio Visit Artist Interviews

    I Like Your Work Podcast

    Say "hi" on Instagram

    53 min
  3. A Life in Painting: Landscape, Egg Tempera & Staying True to Your Work with Nick Blosser

    Season 9

    Show notes

    Born in Columbiana, Ohio in 1958, the Nick Blosser received a B.F.A. (1980) and an M.F.A. (1982) from The Ohio State University. Their work has been recognized through prestigious national and state awards, including an Ohio Arts Council Fellowship (1983), a Rome Prize Fellowship to live and paint at the American Academy in Rome (1984–1985), and National Endowment for the Arts Individual Fellowships (1987–1988 and 1991–1992).

    After residing in Ohio until 1989 and later living in Chehalis, Washington, the Blosser relocated to Tennessee in 1991. He taught art at Milligan College from 1991 until 2022, shaping generations of students, and currently lives and works in Johnson City, Tennessee.

    "The subjects for my paintings come from the out-of-doors. I prefer the ordinary or unassuming over the "scenic " or picturesque. I like to find interesting forms and beauty in what many people hardly pay attention to or disregard. I generally start with drawings that come from direct observation but feel free to internalize what I see, simplify or add imagination to the process. I rarely but sometimes also use photos (when time is limited) but still do drawings from those before painting, which is mostly done in my studio. I'm essentially after what a subject feels to me in an inward perhaps even spiritual way. For over 40 years my main painting mediums are egg tempera and watercolor."

    LINKS:

    Nickdblosser@gmail.com https://pdxcontemporaryart.com/nick-blosser

    Artist Shoutout:

    Theodore J. Murphy - @tedmurphy7

    I Like Your Work Links:

    https://www.patreon.com/cw/ILikeYourWork/home

    The Symbolic Landscape- Erika b Hess at Umbria Contemporary Arts May 30- June 13, 2027

    https://www.umbriacontemporaryarts.com/product-page/the-symbolic-landscape-instructor

    https://www.millersville.edu/eckertartgallery/current-season/

    Watch our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ilikeyourworkpodcast

    Submit Your Work

    Check out our Catalogs!

    Exhibitions

    Studio Visit Artist Interviews

    I Like Your Work Podcast

    Say "hi" on Instagram

    47 min
  4. Abstract Painting and the Archaeology of Mark-Making with Danny Balgley

    Season 9

    Show notes

    Danny Balgley is a painter whose large-scale abstract works investigate the archaeology of mark-making, using a process of physical accumulation and excavation to explore how surfaces hold, reveal, and dissolve history. Danny Balgley (b. New York, NY) lives and works in Queens, NY. He holds an MFA from Columbia University, a BFA from Cooper Union, and attended the Yale School of Art Norfolk program on an Ellen Battell Stoeckel Grant. He has been nominated for the Joan Mitchell Fellowship and received grants from the Ellen Gellman Fellowship, the Ethel Cram Memorial Prize, and the Mark Rothko Award. His work has been featured in Architectural Digest, New American Paintings, Arts in Square, and most recently, Friend of the Artist.

    LINKS:

    https://www.dbalgley.com/ " aria-disabled="true">https://www.instagram.com/dannybalgley/

    I Like Your Work Links:

    https://www.patreon.com/cw/ILikeYourWork/home

    The Symbolic Landscape- Erika b Hess at Umbria Contemporary Arts May 30- June 13, 2027

    https://www.umbriacontemporaryarts.com/product-page/the-symbolic-landscape-instructor

    https://www.millersville.edu/eckertartgallery/current-season/

    Watch our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ilikeyourworkpodcast

    Submit Your Work

    Check out our Catalogs!

    Exhibitions

    Studio Visit Artist Interviews

    I Like Your Work Podcast

    Say "hi" on Instagram

    38 min
  5. Artists Need Other Artists-Welcome to Season Nine

    Season 9

    Show notes

    Welcome to Season Nine of I Like Your Work!

    In this opening episode, I'm reflecting on something I've been thinking about a lot lately: artists need other artists. So much of our work happens alone in the studio, but getting out into the world, seeing work in person, traveling, learning together, and having conversations with other artists can have a huge impact on our practices.

    I share some thoughts from my recent experience teaching The Symbolic Landscape in Italy and why in-person experiences like this can be so important—not only for making work, but for building relationships and seeing your practice in a new way. I'm excited to be returning to Italy to teach the course again, and I'll be sharing more information soon for anyone interested in joining me.

    I also talk about what's ahead for I Like Your Work this season, including our upcoming exhibition at Eckert Art Gallery at Millersville University, guest curated by Heidi Leitzke.

    As we begin our ninth season, thank you for continuing to listen, share the podcast, support the artists we feature, and be part of this community. I'm so excited for the conversations and opportunities ahead.

    In this episode:

    •

    Creating meaningful in-person experiences

    •

    Reflections on teaching and making art in Italy

    •

    Returning to Italy for The Symbolic Landscape

    •

    Our upcoming exhibition at Millersville University

    •

    What's ahead for Season Nine

    Learn more about I Like Your Work, upcoming opportunities, and ways to support the podcast at ilikeyourworkpodcast.com.

    I Like Your Work Links:

    https://www.patreon.com/cw/ILikeYourWork/home

    The Symbolic Landscape- Erika b Hess at Umbria Contemporary Arts May 30- June 13, 2027

    https://www.umbriacontemporaryarts.com/product-page/the-symbolic-landscape-instructor

    https://www.millersville.edu/eckertartgallery/current-season/

    Watch our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ilikeyourworkpodcast

    Submit Your Work

    Check out our Catalogs!

    Exhibitions

    Studio Visit Artist Interviews

    I Like Your Work Podcast

    Say "hi" on Instagram

    10 min
  6. Color and Craft with Artist Lisa Solomon

    Season 8

    Show notes

    Lisa Solomon is a studio artist that moonlights as a college professor and illustrator/graphic designer. Profoundly interested in the idea of hybridization (sparked from her Hapa heritage), Solomon's mixed-media works and large installations revolve thematically around domesticity, craft, and personal histories. She often fuses "wrong" things together--recontextualizing their original purposes, and incorporating materials that question the line between ART and CRAFT. She also is focused on bridging the gaps between being creative, living creatively, and making a living as a creative.She received her BA in art from UC Berkeley and her MFA from Mills College. She has exhibited and works with galleries both nationally and internationally, is in numerous private and public collections, and is continually tweeking artworks in her backyard studio. She resides in Oakland, California with her husband, a teenager, two kitties, a three legged pit-bull, a dachshund mutt and many, many spools of thread. She is the author of - A Field Guide To Color - a workshop work-a-long watercolor journal on color theory and the follow up The Color Meditation Deck, a historical book on Crayola crayons, Knot Thread Stitch, the Illustrator for 20 Ways to Draw a Chair and Draw 500 Everyday Things. Her latest book is Art, Craft, Color is published by HardieGrant. She is also an instructor on CreativeBug.

    LINKS:

    https://www.lisasolomon.com @lisasolomon Artist Shoutout: publisher @hardiegrantusa https://publishing.hardiegrant.com/en-us Bridget Watson Payne * @watsonpayne https://bridgetwatsonpayne.com Christine Buckton Tillman * @christinebucktontillman https://www.christinebucktontillman.com Libby Black * @libblack https://www.libbyblack.com Jen Hewett * @jenhewett https://www.jenhewett.com Risa Iwasaki Culbertson * @Risa_Iwasaki_Culbertson Ana Bianchi * @analovescolor https://www.analovescolor.com Sonya Philip * https://www.100actsofsewing.com Robert J. Bosscher * @rjbosscher https://www.risaculbertson.com Jen Duffin / Nova Mercury Design * @novamercury Robert Mahar * @robert_mahar https://www.robert-mahar.com Crystal Bodven / Crystallized Cookies @CrystallizedCookies https://www.crystallizedcookies.com Dana Williams-Johnson @callmedwj https://www.yardsofhappiness.com Kanako Abe * @abemanatee https://www.kanakoabe.art Rashida Coleman-Hale * @iamrashidacolemanhale https://www.rashidacolemanhale.com Twinkie Chan * @twinkiechan https://www.twinkiechan.com Courtney Cerruti * @ccerruti www.courtneycerruti.com e bond * @eisroughdraft https://www.ebondwork.com Kim Nguyễn * @blackslipbabes Carissa Potter Carlson* @peopleiveloved https://www.carissapotter.com Jenifer Lake * @jenifer_lake https://www.jeniferlake.com Anne Weil * @flaxandtwine https://www.flaxandtwine.com Thank You to our Sponsor Rise and Repaint: https://riseandrepaint.com/ilyw Thank you to our sponsor Creativity Matters Coaching: The Brave Creator Project https://www.creativitymatterscoaching.com/brave-creator-project

    I Like Your Work Links:

    Apply to the Chautauqua School of Art Residency Program: http://art.chq.org/

    Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/ILikeYourWork

    Apply to be a Studio Visit Artist: https://www.ilikeyourworkpodcast.com/submitwork

    Pre-order our catalog: https://www.ilikeyourworkpodcast.com/resources

    Have a question you want Erika to discuss in a mini episode? Email it to ilikeyourworkpodcast@gmail.com with the subject "mini eps" Join Erika in Italy at Umbria Contemporary Arts this Summer: https://www.umbriacontemporaryarts.com/product-page/the-symbolic-landscape-instructor

    Watch our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ilikeyourworkpodcast

    Submit Your Work

    Check out our Catalogs!

    Exhibitions

    Studio Visit Artist Interviews

    I Like Your Work Podcast

    Say "hi" on Instagram

    49 min
  7. Exploring Race, Class, and Social Standing though Painting with Artist Kyle Hackett

    Season 8

    Show notes

    Kyle Hackett's paintings explore race, class, and social standing through approaches to self-representation and the constructed image. Hackett (b. Still Pond, MD) earned his MFA from the LeRoy E. Hoffberger School of Painting at Maryland Institute College of Art and his BFA in Fine Arts from the University of Delaware. He has received numerous honors and awards, including the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities Artist Fellowship, the Civil Society Institute Fellowship at the Vermont Studio Center Residency, the Ruth Katzman Scholarship at The League Residency in New York, and Best in Show at the 2014 Bethesda Painting Awards Exhibition. His work has been featured in publications such as New American Paintings, The Washington Post, HuffPost, Aesthetica Magazine (UK) and is published in the British Library.

    Hackett received a Mayoral Salute from the City of Baltimore for his solo exhibition "Rate of Contingency." Recent exhibitions include The Ruth Borchard 2025 Self Portrait Prize (UK); The Herbert Smith Freehills 2024 Portrait Award Exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery (London, UK); "Revisit/Reimagine" at the Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum (Annapolis, MD) and "Circular Narratives" at Vinegar Projects (Birmingham, AL). Hackett's work is represented by Goya Contemporary Gallery (Baltimore, MD). His work is part of collections at Ethan Cohen Gallery (New York) the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, Capital One Lounge at Washington Dulles International Airport, the Soho House Art Collection, among others. Hackett is Assistant Professor and co-director of the MFA Studio Art Program at American University (Washington, DC).

    "My work explores race, class, and social standing through approaches to self-representation and the constructed image. Inspired by nineteenth- and twentieth-century portraiture and precarious modes of depiction, I deconstruct ideas of secure identity and fixed painting techniques through subtexts of the staged, self-aware portrait. Referencing contraptions, braces, or postures from early photography that might objectify and hold a sitter in place, I relate image-making, inflection, and fixedness to concepts of double consciousness. A connected body of work involves vanitas still-life paintings created from discarded self-portrait reference photographs. Quickly compressed, twisted, fixed, bound, doubled, and hung, the discarded images take on new forms. Meanwhile, the slower process of making each painting becomes a living record and reflection on the initial need to discard the reference. Within this process, my work combines the power dynamic and politic of the picture plane. I examine how authenticity, self-referential source materials and painting methods can articulate systems of identity, representation, and contemporary power structures within and against the conventions of historical genres, such as portrait painting. I highlight how constructing images can construct new relations to serve as a framework for institutional and personal identity-making. Often using indirect glazing to layer an image, I consider how content exists in between spaces, subjects, and beneath painted surfaces. How can slowing down the viewing process challenge the conditions between the image, surface, and material? At the same time, how can this reveal insights into the painter's psychological state and the painting? By emphasizing conflicts between inner and outer, I hope to foster simultaneous ways of being understood beyond position and as human."

    LINKS:

    https://kylehackettstudio.com " aria-disabled="true">@kylehackettstudio Artist Shoutout: Charles Mason III: https://www.cmason3.com @tarem3 Tim Doud: https://www.timdoud.net @timdoud_art Thank You to our Sponsor Rise and Repaint: https://riseandrepaint.com/ilyw

    I Like Your Work Links:

    Apply to the Chautauqua School of Art Residency Program: http://art.chq.org/

    Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/ILikeYourWork

    Apply to be a Studio Visit Artist: https://www.ilikeyourworkpodcast.com/submitwork

    Pre-order our catalog: https://www.ilikeyourworkpodcast.com/resources

    Have a question you want Erika to discuss in a mini episode? Email it to ilikeyourworkpodcast@gmail.com with the subject "mini eps" Join Erika in Italy at Umbria Contemporary Arts this Summer: https://www.umbriacontemporaryarts.com/product-page/the-symbolic-landscape-instructor

    Join the Works Membership! https://theworksmembership.com/

    Watch our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ilikeyourworkpodcast

    Submit Your Work

    Check out our Catalogs!

    Exhibitions

    Studio Visit Artist Interviews

    I Like Your Work Podcast

    Say "hi" on Instagram

    47 min
  8. Building Structures and Community: Weaving, Sculpture and Painting with Artist Beck Lowry

    Season 8

    Show notes

    Beck Lowry (New Haven, Connecticut, 1980) is a mixed-media artist whose intricate, wall-hung abstractions explore themes of protection, labor, and lineage. Lowry's work has been exhibited at Yossi Milo and Morgan Lehman Gallery, New York, NY; Elijah Wheat Showroom, Newburgh, NY; Headstone Gallery, Kingston, NY; Fred Giampietro Gallery and Ely Center for Contemporary Art, New Haven, CT; and Delaware Contemporary, Wilmington, DE. Lowry was a 2024-25 resident of the Sharpe-Walentas Studio Program, Brooklyn, NY; and has participated in residencies at Interlude, Kingston, NY; and Millay Arts, Austerlitz, NY. Their work has been covered in Artforum, New American Paintings, Maake Magazine, Art Speil, Galerie, and Two Coats of Paint. Works by Lowry are held in the public collections of Southern Connecticut State College, New Haven, CT, and Gateway Community College, New Haven, CT. Lowry holds a Bachelor's Degree in Economics and a Certificate in African Studies from Smith College, Northampton, MA. The artist lives and works in Connecticut.

    Installation of a large sculpture with Deanna Evans Projects for Main Window Dumbo. On view 24/7 from the sidewalk until March 22nd at Main Window Dumbo, 1 Main Street, Brooklyn. Closing Reception: Sunday, March 22 from 1-3pm.-- NADA NYC with Morgan Lehman Gallery (May 13–17) -- The Aldrich Decennial (large group show of Connecticut artists) at the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, June 7, 2026 to January 10, 2027

    LINKS:

    https://becklowry.com @becklowry

    I Like Your Work Links:

    Apply to the Chautauqua School of Art Residency Program: http://art.chq.org/

    Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/ILikeYourWork

    Apply to be a Studio Visit Artist: https://www.ilikeyourworkpodcast.com/submitwork

    Pre-order our catalog: https://www.ilikeyourworkpodcast.com/resources

    Have a question you want Erika to discuss in a mini episode? Email it to ilikeyourworkpodcast@gmail.com with the subject "mini eps" Join Erika in Italy at Umbria Contemporary Arts this Summer: https://www.umbriacontemporaryarts.com/product-page/the-symbolic-landscape-instructor

    Join the Works Membership! https://theworksmembership.com/

    Watch our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ilikeyourworkpodcast

    Submit Your Work

    Check out our Catalogs!

    Exhibitions

    Studio Visit Artist Interviews

    I Like Your Work Podcast

    Say "hi" on Instagram

    47 min
  9. Artist Richard Raiselis: Painting the Boston Landscape

    Season 8

    Show notes

    Richard Raiselis is a Boston-based painter known for his perceptive urban landscapes that explore the act of seeing within everyday environments. His work frequently focuses on the city of Boston—its rooftops, streets, power lines, clouds, and architecture—often viewed from unusual vantage points such as high windows or rooftops. Through careful observation and subtle shifts in perspective, Raiselis transforms ordinary scenes into meditations on light, structure, and visual perception.

    Raiselis is Associate Professor Emeritus at the Boston University College of Fine Arts, where he taught painting for over three decades before retiring in 2025. His long tenure at Boston University shaped generations of artists while allowing him to develop a studio practice deeply rooted in observation of the surrounding city.

    His paintings have been exhibited widely and are included in exhibitions at institutions such as the National Academy of Design in New York, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Butler Institute of American Art, and the New Britain Museum of American Art, among others.

    Working primarily in oil on linen, Raiselis approaches painting as a form of visual reporting, capturing the subtle drama of light, weather, and shifting urban space. His work demonstrates how sustained attention to ordinary places can reveal unexpected complexity and beauty.

    LINKS:

    https://gallerynaga.com " aria-disabled="true">@rraiselis

    I Like Your Work Links:

    Apply to the Chautauqua School of Art Residency Program: http://art.chq.org/

    Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/ILikeYourWork

    Apply to be a Studio Visit Artist: https://www.ilikeyourworkpodcast.com/submitwork

    Pre-order our catalog: https://www.ilikeyourworkpodcast.com/resources

    Have a question you want Erika to discuss in a mini episode? Email it to ilikeyourworkpodcast@gmail.com with the subject "mini eps" Join Erika in Italy at Umbria Contemporary Arts this Summer: https://www.umbriacontemporaryarts.com/product-page/the-symbolic-landscape-instructor

    Join the Works Membership! https://theworksmembership.com/

    Watch our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ilikeyourworkpodcast

    Submit Your Work

    Check out our Catalogs!

    Exhibitions

    Studio Visit Artist Interviews

    I Like Your Work Podcast

    Say "hi" on Instagram

    1 hr 1 min
  10. Live Interview with Painter Dion Johnson at Contemporary Art Matters

    Season 8

    Show notes

    Dion Johnson (b. 1975, Bellaire, OH) is based in Los Angeles, CA. Johnson received a BFA from The Ohio State University and an MFA from Claremont Graduate University. He has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions across the United States. His solo exhibitions include: Scott Richards Contemporary Art, San Francisco, CA; L.A. Louver, Venice, CA; Contemporary Art Matters, Columbus, OH; Western Project, Los Angeles, CA; Bentley Gallery, Phoenix, AZ; and Stux Gallery, New York, NY. His group exhibitions include: Roberts Projects, Los Angeles, CA; L.A. Louver, Venice, CA; PRJCTLA, Los Angeles, CA; Holly Johnson, Dallas, TX; and De Buck Gallery, New York, NY. He recently curated "excite" an exhibition of Southern California abstract painting at Peter Mendenhall Gallery, Pasadena, CA. His work has been reviewed and featured in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Artnews, and Artforum, among others. Johnson serves as Assistant Chair of Foundation Studio at Otis College of Art and Design.

    Dion Johnson's paintings synthesize his experience of Southern California's natural and urban landscapes, architecture, lifestyle and the region's exciting history of influential visual art movements. In a recent interview with Ed Schad, Curator at The Broad in Los Angeles, Johnson reflects "Sometimes, my paintings are like abstract places informed by personal experiences. Layers of colors may allude to my view of the San Gabriel Mountains bathed in magenta light at sunrise, and aerodynamic shapes in a composition may suggest my peripheral perspective during a bicycle ride."

    LINKS:

    http://www.dionjohnsonstudio.com " aria-disabled="true">@dion_johnson_ " aria-disabled="true"> " aria-disabled="true">Contemporary Art Matters - https://contemporaryartmatters.com " aria-disabled="true">Scott Richards Contemporary Art - https://www.srcart.com " aria-disabled="true">L.A. Louver - https://lalouver.com

    Artist Shoutout:

    June Edmonds @juneeecee

    Heather Gwen Martin @heathergwenmartin

    Christopher Pate @chrispate

    Kristopher Raos @kristopher_raos

    Michael Reafsnyder @michaelreafsnyder

    Phillip K. Smith III @phillipksmith3

    Liat Yossifor @liatyossifor

    I Like Your Work Links:

    Apply to the Chautauqua School of Art Residency Program: http://art.chq.org/

    Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/ILikeYourWork

    Join Erika in Mexico: https://www.chq.org/groups/chautauqua-travels/colors-and-canvases-in-oaxaca-with-erika-b-hess/

    Join Erika in Italy at Umbria Contemporary Arts this Summer: https://www.umbriacontemporaryarts.com/product-page/the-symbolic-landscape-instructor

    Pre-order our catalog: https://www.ilikeyourworkpodcast.com/resources

    Have a question you want Erika to discuss in a mini episode? Email it to ilikeyourworkpodcast@gmail.com with the subject "mini eps"

    Join the Works Membership! https://theworksmembership.com/

    Watch our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ilikeyourworkpodcast

    Submit Your Work

    Check out our Catalogs!

    Exhibitions

    Studio Visit Artist Interviews

    I Like Your Work Podcast

    Say "hi" on Instagram

    44 min
  11. Tribeca Gallerist Jared Linge on Building High Noon Gallery

    Season 8

    Show notes

    Jared Linge received a classical education in Drawing & Painting and Art History at the Laguna College of Art and Design. After eight years of experience working in contemporary art on both coasts, he founded High Noon in New York's Lower East Side in 2017 with an interest in exhibiting under-represented artists. He has curated over 70 exhibitions throughout his career, focusing on work that is grounded in art historical context with an emphasis on craft and hybrid practices. In addition to his work as a gallerist, he is a regular faculty member at the NYC Crit Club, a collaborative alternative to academic art programs, centering peer dialogue and mentorship within an inclusive artist community.

    High Noon advocates a gallery model that is collaborative and artist-centered. Today, the gallery's roster is comprised of emerging talent as well as established artists collectively belonging to major collections such as MoMA, the Broad, LACMA, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and others. In the fall of 2024, the gallery moved to a new permanent location in New York's TriBeCa neighborhood.

    LINKS:

    https://highnoongallery.com " aria-disabled="true">@highnoongallery https://www.ilikeyourworkpodcast.com/product-page/the-way-we-re-not-winter-exhibition-catalog-2025

    I Like Your Work Links:

    Apply to the Chautauqua School of Art Residency Program: http://art.chq.org/

    Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/ILikeYourWork

    Apply for our Spring Open Call: Deadline February 15: https://www.ilikeyourworkpodcast.com/submitwork

    Pre-order our catalog: https://www.ilikeyourworkpodcast.com/resources

    Have a question you want Erika to discuss in a mini episode? Email it to ilikeyourworkpodcast@gmail.com with the subject "mini eps" Join Erika in Italy at Umbria Contemporary Arts this Summer: https://www.umbriacontemporaryarts.com/product-page/the-symbolic-landscape-instructor

    Join the Works Membership! https://theworksmembership.com/

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    59 min
  12. It's Never Too Late To Start with Artist Lisa Congdon

    Season 8

    Show notes

    As we begin a new year, we're revisiting one of our most encouraging conversations on I Like Your Work—my interview with artist, author, and educator Lisa Congdon. Lisa's story is a powerful reminder that there is no single timeline for becoming an artist. She didn't begin pursuing art seriously until later in life, and her career unfolded through persistence, curiosity, and a deep commitment to learning. In this episode, Lisa shares what it was like to start later, how she built confidence in her work, and how she navigated the fears and doubts that often accompany a creative path. This conversation is especially meaningful to revisit in January, a time when many of us are reflecting on where we are, where we want to go, and whether it's "too late" to begin or begin again. Lisa's honesty and generosity offer reassurance that growth happens in its own time, and that showing up consistently matters more than starting early. In this episode, we discuss:

    • Starting an art career later in life
    • Letting go of comparison and imagined timelines
    • Building confidence through practice and curiosity
    • Creating a sustainable creative life
    • Giving yourself permission to evolve

    Whether you're just starting out, returning to your studio after time away, or questioning your path, this episode offers encouragement and perspective for the year ahead.

    LINKS:

    https://lisacongdon.com/

    Follow Lisa on Instagram @lisacongdon

    Lisa's books:

    Art, Inc: The Essential Guide for Building Your Career as an Artist

    Find Your Artistic Voice: The Essential Guide to Working Your Creative Magic (Art Book for Artists, Creative Self-Help Book)

    A Glorious Freedom: Older Women Leading Extraordinary Lives

    I Like Your Work Links:

    Apply to the Chautauqua School of Art Residency Program: http://art.chq.org/

    Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/ILikeYourWork

    Apply for our Spring Open Call: Deadline February 15: https://www.ilikeyourworkpodcast.com/submitwork

    Pre-order our catalog: https://www.ilikeyourworkpodcast.com/resources

    Have a question you want Erika to discuss in a mini episode? Email it to ilikeyourworkpodcast@gmail.com with the subject "mini eps" Join Erika in Italy at Umbria Contemporary Arts this Summer: https://www.umbriacontemporaryarts.com/product-page/the-symbolic-landscape-instructor

    Join the Works Membership! https://theworksmembership.com/

    Watch our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ilikeyourworkpodcast

    Submit Your Work

    Check out our Catalogs!

    Exhibitions

    Studio Visit Artist Interviews

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    Say "hi" on Instagram

    43 min
  13. Applying to Artist Residencies: CVA Insights & Practical Application Tips

    Season 8

    Show notes

    Artist residencies play an important role in supporting creative development, professional growth, and sustained studio practice. This episode offers insight into artist residencies through the lens of Chautauqua Visual Arts, alongside practical guidance for artists preparing strong, thoughtful applications.

    Chautauqua Visual Arts offers two distinct residency experiences, each designed to support artists at different stages and working styles.

    The Faculty-Led Six-Week Residency is designed for emerging/student artists seeking an immersive, structured experience. The program features accomplished visiting faculty who lead classes, lectures, and critiques, providing sustained mentorship, professional dialogue, and a cohort-based learning environment. Artists develop their work within a supportive community while engaging in critical exchange and guided exploration.

    The Self-Directed Two-Week Residency with Studio Visits supports artists seeking focused studio time within a self-directed framework. This residency offers space to work independently, complemented by studio visits during the second week that provide feedback, conversation, and connection while preserving autonomy in the artist's practice.Both residencies include dedicated studio space, a vibrant community of artists, and access to world-class lectures and performances at Chautauqua—creating an environment that supports focus, reflection, and creative growth.In this episode, I also share practical application insights drawn from my years reviewing applications which includes:

    1. Demonstrate an understanding of the residency program Strong applications show a clear understanding of the residency's structure, location, and values. Artists are encouraged to apply to programs that align with how they work. For example, artists seeking a city-based experience may not be a good fit for a rural residency, and vice versa. Thoughtful consideration of fit strengthens both the application and the residency experience.

    2. Submit strong, well-documented images of your work Clear, well-lit, and accurately documented images remain one of the most important components of any application. High-quality images allow reviewers to engage fully with the work and understand the artist's practice.

    3. Treat project proposals as a reflection of studio practice When applications ask what an artist plans to work on during the residency, the question often reflects a broader consideration: whether the artist knows how to work independently, structure their time, and sustain a studio practice. Clear, realistic responses demonstrate preparedness rather than fixed outcomes.

    4. Allow adequate time when requesting references When requesting a letter of reference, giving ample notice is essential. Thoughtful timing allows references to write strong, detailed letters that meaningfully support an application.

    I Like Your Work Links:

    Apply to the Chautauqua School of Art Residency Program: http://art.chq.org/

    Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/ILikeYourWork

    Apply for our Spring Open Call: Deadline February 15: https://www.ilikeyourworkpodcast.com/submitwork

    Pre-order our catalog: https://www.ilikeyourworkpodcast.com/resources

    Have a question you want Erika to discuss in a mini episode? Email it to ilikeyourworkpodcast@gmail.com with the subject "mini eps" Join Erika in Italy at Umbria Contemporary Arts this Summer: https://www.umbriacontemporaryarts.com/product-page/the-symbolic-landscape-instructor

    Join the Works Membership! https://theworksmembership.com/

    Watch our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ilikeyourworkpodcast

    Submit Your Work

    Check out our Catalogs!

    Exhibitions

    Studio Visit Artist Interviews

    I Like Your Work Podcast

    Say "hi" on Instagram

    14 min
  14. Keep Painting: John Walker on a Life in the Studio

    Season 8

    Show notes

    We're revisiting one of my favorite conversations from the archive with painter John Walker, an episode that feels just as relevant now as when it first aired. In this conversation, John reflects on what it means to stay with the work over decades, how a painting practice evolves over time, and the quiet discipline required to keep showing up to the studio. We talk about the deeply meaningful realities of a life devoted to making art. As we move into a new year, this episode feels like the perfect reminder that sustainable creative lives aren't built overnight they're built through intention, consistency, and returning again and again to what matters most.Goals Giveaway To celebrate this rerelease and the new year, I'm offering a free Goal Workbook to anyone who joins I Like Your Work on Patreon. The workbook is designed to help you clarify what you want from your creative life this year without burnout, hustle culture, or unrealistic pressure.

    Join Patreon to receive the Goal Workbook: https://www.patreon.com/c/ILikeYourWork

    Whether you're setting intentions for the year or simply needing encouragement to keep going, I hope this conversation meets you where you are.

    LINKS:

    https://johnwalkerpainter.com/index.php

    https://www.alexandregallery.com/john-walker

    I Like Your Work Links:

    Thank you to our Sponsor, the 2026 Canopy Program:

    Apply by January 14th at https://thecanopyprogram.com/

    Pre-order our catalog: https://www.ilikeyourworkpodcast.com/resources

    Have a question you want Erika to discuss in a mini episode? Email it to ilikeyourworkpodcast@gmail.com with the subject "mini eps" Apply to the Chautauqua School of Art Residency Program: http://art.chq.org/ Join Erika in Italy at Umbria Contemporary Arts this Summer: https://www.umbriacontemporaryarts.com/product-page/the-symbolic-landscape-instructor

    Join the Works Membership! https://theworksmembership.com/

    Watch our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ilikeyourworkpodcast

    Submit Your Work

    Check out our Catalogs!

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    1 hr 18 min
  15. Doing the Next Thing in Your Art Practice: Following What Lights You Up in the New Year

    Season 8

    Show notes

    In this New Year episode of I Like Your Work, I talk about doing the next thing in your art practice by following what genuinely lights you up — even when it means making a change. I share why I chose to refocus my energy on teaching, creating courses, and building spaces for artists, and how that clarity led me to an exciting move to Patreon. This shift makes it easier for more artists to access professional practice support, classes, and conversations in a way that's flexible, affordable, and rooted in real studio life.

    I Like Your Work Links:

    https://www.patreon.com/cw/ILikeYourWork/home

    Thank you to our Sponsor, the 2026 Canopy Program:

    Apply by January 14th at https://thecanopyprogram.com/

    Pre-order our catalog: https://www.ilikeyourworkpodcast.com/resources

    Have a question you want Erika to discuss in a mini episode? Email it to ilikeyourworkpodcast@gmail.com with the subject "mini eps" Apply to the Chautauqua School of Art Residency Program: http://art.chq.org/ Join Erika in Italy at Umbria Contemporary Arts this Summer: https://www.umbriacontemporaryarts.com/product-page/the-symbolic-landscape-instructor

    Join the Works Membership! https://theworksmembership.com/

    Watch our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ilikeyourworkpodcast

    Submit Your Work

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    14 min
  16. Do It Afraid — Creative Planning for Artists Starting the Year Strong

    Season 8

    Show notes

    In this mini episode of I Like Your Work, I talk about why waiting to feel "ready" or confident keeps so many artists stuck and how planning your artistic year while feeling afraid can actually be the most honest place to start. This episode is for artists who:

    • Feel overwhelmed when thinking about the year ahead
    • Struggle with creative fear, doubt, or perfectionism
    • Want to plan their art practice without burning out
    • Are ready to make work even when clarity hasn't arrived yet

    You don't need to eliminate fear to move forward. You can do it afraid. I share simple, grounded ways to think about creative planning, goal setting, and staying connected to your work—without pressure, hustle, or unrealistic expectations. Whether you're planning a new year, a new body of work, or just trying to show up consistently, this episode offers a steady place to begin.

    I Like Your Work Links:

    Thank you to our Sponsor, the 2026 Canopy Program:

    Apply by January 14th at https://thecanopyprogram.com/

    Pre-order our catalog: https://www.ilikeyourworkpodcast.com/resources

    Have a question you want Erika to discuss in a mini episode? Email it to ilikeyourworkpodcast@gmail.com with the subject "mini eps" Apply to the Chautauqua School of Art Residency Program: http://art.chq.org/ Join Erika in Italy at Umbria Contemporary Arts this Summer: https://www.umbriacontemporaryarts.com/product-page/the-symbolic-landscape-instructor

    Join the Works Membership! https://theworksmembership.com/

    Watch our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ilikeyourworkpodcast

    Submit Your Work

    Check out our Catalogs!

    Exhibitions

    Studio Visit Artist Interviews

    I Like Your Work Podcast

    Say "hi" on Instagram

    13 min
  17. Sculptor Lydia Musco on Finding Clarity in Your Studio Practice

    Season 8

    Show notes

    Lydia Jenkins Musco's work has been exhibited in galleries and public spaces throughout the United States. With an MFA from Boston University and a BA from Bennington College, her artistic practice has been shaped by international experiences, including stone carving studies in Italy and participation in art symposia in Norway, South Korea, and China. Musco's work has earned recognition through awards including two Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grants, a Joan Mitchell Foundation MFA Grant, and an Edward F. Albee Residency Fellowship, among others. Her work has been featured in exhibitions including the 43rd Annual Peace Exhibition in Nagasaki, Japan, the International Print Center in New York, and numerous outdoor sculpture exhibitions nationwide. Musco has contributed to the art community through academic roles, serving as a lecturer in sculpture at Boston University and a visiting assistant professor at Davidson College. Musco lives and works in Royalston, Massachusetts.

    "I interpret the world into a vocabulary of objects with weight and mass that can be viewed from all sides, that help me explore the connections and intersections of elements. Basic construction materials like concrete and wood — ubiquitous and often used in humble ways we take for granted — offer me a path to honesty through their fundamental simplicity. Two groups of work are currently in progress, Logarithmus and Unconformity. The Unconformity series began as an investigation into perception and place, a reflection of the landscape of the woodlands of Massachusetts. In geology, an unconformity refers to a break in time, a boundary between rocks caused by erosion or a pause in sediment accumulation. Investigating the environmental changes accumulating in the landscape over the course of a year, each sculpture is an unconformity, a break in time, capturing a moment, holding it still, and documenting the changing color, light, and forms of a single place. The Logarithmus series explores navigation, inspired by the Chip Log, an early nautical instrument for gauging speed. The form of these sculptures is derived from the geometry of a circle's quadrant. The resulting shape, somewhat vulnerable due to its accessible interior, becomes an exploration of pathfinding, with all its inherent hope and uncertainties. With the guarantee of detours and missteps, my goal is to keep moving forward with curiosity. These objects are built from the ground up, echoing the process of memory or landscape formation. Like geological strata, each layer both influences and is influenced by those adjacent to it, above and below, side by side. Bound by gravity only, they are built in movable sections that can be dismantled and reconstructed. Each reassembly tells a new story, revealing how intention and environment reshape our understanding, making the familiar strange and the static dynamic."

    LINKS:

    https://lydiamusco.com @lydia_j_musco

    I Like Your Work Links:

    Thank you to our sponsor, Sunlight Tax.

    Right now, listeners of I Like Your Work can get this free artists' tax deduction guide by going to https://sunlighttax.com/ilikeyourworkguide Thank you to our Sponsor, the 2026 Canopy Program:

    Apply by January 14th at https://thecanopyprogram.com/

    Pre-order our catalog: https://www.ilikeyourworkpodcast.com/resources

    Have a question you want Erika to discuss in a mini episode? Email it to ilikeyourworkpodcast@gmail.com with the subject "mini eps" Apply to the Chautauqua School of Art Residency Program: http://art.chq.org/ Join Erika in Italy at Umbria Contemporary Arts this Summer: https://www.umbriacontemporaryarts.com/product-page/the-symbolic-landscape-instructor

    Join the Works Membership! https://theworksmembership.com/

    Watch our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ilikeyourworkpodcast

    Submit Your Work

    Check out our Catalogs!

    Exhibitions

    Studio Visit Artist Interviews

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    1 hr 11 min
  18. What's Happening at Miami Art Week 2025: Artist Takeaways from Art Basel, NADA, Untitled & SCOPE

    Season 8

    Show notes

    If you've been watching the Miami energy from afar and wondering what it all means for your studio practice, this episode gives you the trends, themes, and takeaways that actually matter for artists.In this episode, Erika covers: • The big-picture trends shaping Miami Art Week 2025: – Institutional validation and residencies becoming more influential – The shift toward sustainable careers and long-term practice – Experiential installations dominating many fairs – Latin American and Caribbean artists in the spotlight – The ongoing market correction and what collectors are looking for • A breakdown of the key fairs: – Art Basel Miami Beach: What's new, what curators are paying attention to, and how residencies fit into this year's programming – NADA: Emerging artists, experimental work, and themes like climate fiction + myth/memory – Untitled Art Fair: Thoughtful curation and a special focus on reflection-based work – SCOPE Miami Beach: Where Erika is speaking this year on sustainable artist careers and the power of residencies – Additional satellite fairs: Design Miami, Aqua, Art Miami + Context, Satellite, Prizm Erika also shares: • How the fairs are highlighting conversations around artist support, sustainability, and community • A grounded takeaway for artists who aren't in Miami: how to move your career forward from your own studio Whether you're at the fairs, following along online, or simply curious about the current art-world landscape, this episode gives you the quick, real insights behind the images.

    I Like Your Work Links:

    Thank you to our sponsor, Sunlight Tax.

    Make Taxes Easier and Stash an Extra $152k in Your Savings Free Class:

    https://sunlighttax.com/ilikeyourwork

    Right now, listeners of I Like Your Work can get this free artists' tax deduction guide by going to https://sunlighttax.com/ilikeyourworkguide

    Pre-order our catalog: https://www.ilikeyourworkpodcast.com/resources

    Have a question you want Erika to discuss in a mini episode? Email it to ilikeyourworkpodcast@gmail.com with the subject "mini eps" Apply to the Chautauqua School of Art Residency Program: http://art.chq.org/ Join Erika in Italy at Umbria Contemporary Arts this Summer: https://www.umbriacontemporaryarts.com/product-page/the-symbolic-landscape-instructor

    Join the Works Membership! https://theworksmembership.com/

    Watch our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ilikeyourworkpodcast

    Submit Your Work

    Check out our Catalogs!

    Exhibitions

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    9 min
  19. Italian Journey: Corot, Goethe & the Self We Discover

    Season 8

    Show notes

    In this episode, Erika explores how observation, travel, and memory shape artistic practice, inspired by her upcoming class in Italy, The Symbolic Landscape. Drawing from Corot's plein air studies and Goethe's Italian Journey, she reflects on how artists discover themselves through what they see—whether in a distant landscape or a simple daily moment. The episode invites listeners to make space for beauty and reflection, wherever they are, and to see art as both a return to the world and a way to transcend it. The Symbolic Landscape- Class in Italy Dates: May 10 - May 24

    • Early Registration Discount: A 20% discount applies if Payment In Full is made before December 2nd, 2025.

    I Like Your Work Links:

    Thank you to our sponsor, Sunlight Tax.

    Make Taxes Easier and Stash an Extra $152k in Your Savings Free Class:

    https://sunlighttax.com/ilikeyourwork

    Right now, listeners of I Like Your Work can get this free artists' tax deduction guide by going to https://sunlighttax.com/ilikeyourworkguide Thank you to our Sponsor, the 2026 Canopy Program:

    Join an info session with Founder and Executive Director Catherine Haggarty and apply by January 14th at https://thecanopyprogram.com/

    Pre-order our catalog: https://www.ilikeyourworkpodcast.com/resources

    Have a question you want Erika to discuss in a mini episode? Email it to ilikeyourworkpodcast@gmail.com with the subject "mini eps" Apply to the Chautauqua School of Art Residency Program: http://art.chq.org/ Join Erika in Italy at Umbria Contemporary Arts this Summer: https://www.umbriacontemporaryarts.com/product-page/the-symbolic-landscape-instructor

    Join the Works Membership! https://theworksmembership.com/

    Watch our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ilikeyourworkpodcast

    Submit Your Work

    Check out our Catalogs!

    Exhibitions

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    14 min
  20. Understanding Your Experience with Painter Gail Spaien

    Season 8

    Show notes

    Gail Spaien (b. 1958, Hartford, Connecticut) is an American artist and educator based in Maine. Her studio practice centers around the idea that a painting is a site of connection; an object that transmits emotion from one person to another. She is of a lineage of artists who think craft and beauty shape and build a more relational world. Spaien has been the recipient of numerous fellowships, including the Ucross Foundation (2024), Varda Artist Residency Program, Djerassi Foundation Resident Artists Program, Millay Colony for the Arts, and the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. She has received grant funding from the Lillian Orlowsky and William Freed Foundation, the Maine Arts Commission, and the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation. Her work has been featured in solo exhibitions, including Taymour Grahne Projects, Dubai, UAE(2025); Mrs. Gallery, NY (2025); Nancy Margolis Gallery, NY; Taymour Grahne Projects, London, UK; Ogunquit Museum of American Art, Ogunquit, ME; Ellen Miller Gallery, Boston, MA; and Colby College Museum of Art, Waterville, ME. Group exhibitions include Berggruen Gallery, San Francisco, CA; Taymour Grahne Projects, London, UK; Center for Maine Contemporary Art, Rockland, ME; 1969 Gallery, NY; studio e, Seattle, WA; Provincetown Art Association and Museum, Provincetown, MA; University of New Hampshire Museum, Durham, NH; Institute of Contemporary Art, Portland, ME; Portland Museum of Art, Portland, ME; and the DeCordova Museum, Lincoln, MA. Spaien received her MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute and BFA from the University of Southern Maine. After thirty years as faculty at the Maine College of Art and Design, she is full-time in the studio.

    "Inspired by my geographic location and the landscape that surrounds me, the images in my paintings are of observed and imagined places where one can be in relationship with others, the world, and the self. They celebrate the beauty of everyday acts and the quiet rhythms of daily life. They are compact reductions of lived experiences and permeable arenas of contemplation. The way I make my work is a performance of slowness. Created through repetitive handcraft, marked by decorative patterning, flattened space, and subtly skewed perspectives, my paintings reflect the intimacy of their making. Blending still life with landscape, often depicting a unification between the interior and exterior, spectators of my paintings become inhabitants of a world in slower motion. Composing an idealized counterpoint, I suggest that slowness and attention to the rhythms of an ordinary day is a form of quiet resistance and renewal. My source material ranges from the animated movies of Hayao Miyazaki and Walt Disney to the symbolism of Dutch Still Life paintings. I reference quilts, samplers, mourning paintings, Japanese embroidery, early American wooden furniture, wooden boats, and the architecture of simple cottages. The meditative and precise quality of paint-by-numbers, which I did as a child, also informs my work, as well as my admiration of early American folk artists, the Pattern and Decoration movement, Intimism and the ancient artists of Ukiyo-e. My paintings are places, and I approach them as such. As a painter, I turn my back on the external world and enter the world of the painting. I hope a viewer might do that too. When people say, "I want to go there," I feel I have hit the mark in some way."

    LINKS:

    https://gailspaien.com @gailspaien Artist Shout out: A shout out to my colleagues who are showing with Taymour Grahne Projects: Amy Lincoln https://www.amylincoln.com/ @amyplincoln Matthew F. Fisher https://www.matthewffisher.com/ @matthewffisher Sarah Mceneaney https://taymourgrahne.com/artists/sarah-mceneaney @sarahmcinerney Samira Abbassy https://www.samiraabbassy.com/ @samira_abasy Katia Kamali https://taymourgrahne.com/artists/katia-kameli @kamelikatia Faycal Baghriche https://taymourgrahne.com/artists/faycal-baghriche And a VERY small few of my Maine colleagues: Philip Brou https://philipbrou.com/home.html Honour Mack https://honourmack.com/home.html @honourmack Tessa Greene O'Brien https://www.tessagreenobrien.com/ @tessagreeneobrien Grace Hager https://gracehager.com/ @gracemakes Hilary Irons https://hilaryirons.com/home.html @h.irons.h Brett Bigby https://www.alexandregallery.com/artists-work/brett-bigbee#tab:thumbnails @brettbigby Rose Marasco https://rosemarasco.com/ @rosemarasco

    I Like Your Work Links:

    Thank you to our sponsor, Sunlight Tax.

    Right now, listeners of I Like Your Work can get this free artists' tax deduction guide by going to https://sunlighttax.com/ilikeyourworkguide Thank you to our Sponsor, the 2026 Canopy Program:

    Join an info session with Founder and Executive Director Catherine Haggarty and apply by January 14th at https://thecanopyprogram.com

    Pre-order our catalog: https://www.ilikeyourworkpodcast.com/resources

    Have a question you want Erika to discuss in a mini episode? Email it to ilikeyourworkpodcast@gmail.com with the subject "mini eps" Apply to the Chautauqua School of Art Residency Program: http://art.chq.org/ Join Erika in Italy at Umbria Contemporary Arts this Summer: https://www.umbriacontemporaryarts.com/product-page/the-symbolic-landscape-instructor

    Join the Works Membership! https://theworksmembership.com/

    Watch our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ilikeyourworkpodcast

    Submit Your Work

    Check out our Catalogs!

    Exhibitions

    Studio Visit Artist Interviews

    I Like Your Work Podcast

    Say "hi" on Instagram

    49 min

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